Before diving into my recommendations, I want to emphasize the power of good fiction. In our frenetic, newsfeed-scrolling era, losing oneself in a gripping novel offers a much-needed respite. It transports us to other worlds, allowing us to inhabit different lives and perspectives. From these places, we can hone our empathy and expand our horizons beyond daily realities. Imagination and empathy risk atrophying amidst the passive consumption of our digital age, but reading a novel can help us rediscover the pleasures of sustained focus and the intricacies of human experience.